Devotees Cry Foul as 7,900 VIPs Rolled Red Carpet

A large number of devotees gather to catch a glimpse of Lord Malayappa being taken in procession atop the Golden Chariot in Tirumala on Saturday on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi | Mahesh g

The auspicious Vaikunta Ekadasi day on Saturday witnessed devotees staging protests demanding tickets for darshan of the Lord, even as the TTD rolled the red carpet to a host of VIPs.

After closing the temple around 11.30 pm the previous night, it was opened around 1.30 am for darshan through the Uttara Dwaram (Vaikunta Dwaram).

According to officials, nearly 7,900 VIPs, including ministers, MLAs, judges and film personalities had darshan.

After the VIPs, trekkers and other devotees were allowed to have darshan.

Yet again, the sacred hills reverberated with anti-TTD slogans with devotees staging a protest for more than five hours.

Devotees, who reached Tirumala in large numbers and had submitted requisition letters from different political leaders and others for having darshan on Ekadasi and Dwadasi days, staged protest demanding tickets. They were asked to visit the TTD chairman’s office after 11 am, but several of them reached there by 10 am itself and waited for hours. But the TTD officials did not issue them with any tickets and even a request by TTD chairman K Bapiraju to the JEO to issue passes went in vain.

Denied tickets, devotees raised slogans against the chairman. After sometime, they reached the EO’s office and staged a dharna for half an hour on the road between the two offices.

Tirumala DSP and CI, along with their staff, rushed there and asked the pilgrims to evacuate the spot. However, the protesters raised slogans against the police also.

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